Good Vs Bad Stress 😤

Happy Thursday Three!

Here are this week's coaching tip, exercise tutorial and question to ponder for the week.

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I. Good Vs Bad Stress

Stress - it's a tricky thing, right? We often think of it as something negative and potentially harmful, but it's actually just our body's natural response to change. While stress can be harmful, it can also be motivating and performance-enhancing. It all depends on the type of stress we're experiencing.

Eustress is a fancy term for positive stress that's motivating and beneficial, while distress refers to stress that's bad and overwhelming. So, is stress good or bad? The truth is, it's a bit of both!

Distress typically happens when we feel like the stressor is beyond our control or ability to fix it. In those situations, we might feel overwhelmed and anxious, experience headaches, body tension, irritability, trouble sleeping, and struggle to focus.

Eustress, on the other hand, kicks in when we feel confident in our ability to overcome the stressor. It helps focus our efforts on working through the problem, making us feel confident, focused, and motivated. We're working towards a positive outcome.

We'll all experience distress at some point. Avoiding it altogether isn't really a realistic goal. But it is possible to learn how to better manage its effects and, in some cases, move from distress into eustress.

Now, I'm not going to pretend like I have all the answers, but I can share a few things that have helped me build up my own resilience to distress:

1. Shrink your focus - When you're feeling overwhelmed and out of control, try narrowing your focus to the aspects you still have control over. Sometimes that's just how you choose to respond to the situation.

2. Don't be a bully - It's easy to get down on ourselves, pointing out all our faults and calling ourselves "lazy & dumb." But research suggests that this does little to help and often just adds fuel to the fire. Practising a little self-compassion instead can make a big difference.

3. Embrace physical stress - Learning to manage and control your stress response during physical training can be a great teacher. If you can avoid distress and feeling overwhelmed in a physical environment, it'll help provide the tools you need to handle mental and emotional stress. Below, I cover an example of this type of training.

II. Eustress Training

Let's talk about Eutress training. It's a great way to challenge yourself physically and mentally while improving your technique and efficiency. You'll finish feeling knowing you worked hard, but not like you've been hit by a truck.

Here's how to get started:

1. Choose a heavy compound lift like deadlifts, squats, kettlebell swings, pull-ups, dips, or overhead presses.

2. Do a few warm-up sets. Start with a weight that's about 65% of your 1-rep max. If you're doing bodyweight movements or kettlebell lifts, pick a variation that's your 10-rep max. Over 3-4 sets, work up to your working weight.

3. Get to work. Do 30-50 reps in sets of 1-3 reps max.

Here are some guidelines to follow:

• Focus on using strong and confident techniques for every rep.

• Stay calm and relaxed.

• Keep rest to a minimum. Only rest as long as you need to perform the next set with good form.

• The total elapsed time should be no more than 15 minutes. If you finish in under 5 minutes, make it more challenging.

If you're wondering how to progress, try one of these methods:

Increase the total number of reps. Start with 30 reps in week one, then try 40 reps in week two, and so on.

Decrease the work time. Try to complete the same number of reps in less time while maintaining good form.

Increase the weight. Add 10% to the bar.

Change the variation of the lift. For example, switch from a traditional deadlift to a sumo deadlift.

Check out this guide to learn how to do it.

As for how often to do Eutress training, it's up to you. If you already have a strength program, once a week is probably enough. Otherwise, try doing it 2-3 times per week, but make sure to pick a different exercise for each session.

Enjoy!

III. Quote to ponder

“It’s not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it” - Hans Selye

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P.S. If you enjoyed this week's Thursday Three, share it with a friend.

Thanks,

Jamie